Thursday, 23 May 2013

Developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is work and a constant battle. I don't know why, but my taste buds just seems to gravitate towards the sugar and the salt and anything high calorie and lacking nutritional value. Some days I feel like I'm obsessed (oh! such a strong word - very conscientious?) with calorie counting/watching but I believe it is partly why I am not overweight.

This past trip to southern Manitoba did not lend itself well to overly healthy eating, as expected. Appies for supper one night, pizza the next, and the following day for lunch, coupled with a little extra wine and beer and other snacks I partook of resulted in a few too many indulgences. It wasn't that much bad stuff but definitely more than I'm used to. I didn't beat myself up over it, though, I just ate with attempted moderation and enjoyed. Despite feeling like I often crave junk I was pleasantly surprised to find that I missed the healthy!

My palette is obviously also developed towards the 'better' tastes too. And it is rubbing off on my daughter. Several times she deliberately chose carrots and ate them saying that she knew it was important to have her veggies!!! It feels good that all my persistence has paid off somewhat - for both of us.

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

We embarked on a six day journey that took across the quite desolate Canadian Prairies for a long over-due visit to extended family (mostly Trevor's side).
Some noteworthy points: (because that is all my sleep-deprived mind can muster!)

* The drive there took fourteen and a half hours while the trip home only thirteen. The hour and half difference was largely due to several frustratingly inconvenient and long potty breaks and Sawyer upchucking a mere hour from our destination. EVERYWHERE!!!! We arrived smelling like stomach innards and needing to do laundry and clean out a car. Nice.

*It was great to reconnect with close friends. Sierra bawled when we left.

*Our kids will never know family like our parents and even us. Trevor's grandma had ten younger siblings. TEN!!! His grandpa has numerous brothers and sisters too. Many of them stayed in southern Manitoba so when we go the the little country church out there 3/4 of the last names on their 'mail' boxes are relatives.

*Sierra and Sawyer took to each family member as if they saw them daily. It didn't matter that Oma (Trevor's grandma) has Alzheimer's and is absent minded (to put it mildly) or that Uncle Harold talks only about himself and has a large booming voice and dominating presence. It was awesome.

*I first met this family sixteen years ago at Trevor's grandparents fiftieth wedding anniversary as a newly ringed fiance. They took me in and accepted me as one of them immediately and haven't looked back. There's is no doubt that they are my family too.

*Country back-roads during a steady rain are rather treacherous and frightening while sitting in a little Honda Civic!

Thursday, 16 May 2013

I woke up this morning, in Southern Manitoba to the tap tap on my shoulder by my almost six year old. I rolled over and her cute, three year old brother is stirring from his bed on the floor beside me. As I prepared for the day and saw my life as it is now, my mind rewound a decade and a half. I woke up in my bedroom at my parents house for the last time as a single woman. There were butterflies in my stomach resultant of much excitement.

You see, it was exactly fifteen years ago today that said " I do" with my best friend.

What an awesome 15! Look how far we've come and how much there is to look forward to.

Sunday, 12 May 2013

Summer has arrived, for now, and we've been out as much as we can. I determined Friday would be a family night so we picked up a pizza and had a picnic in a local park. Then we walked to the river and the kids had a blast throwing rocks. We rounded the perfect evening off with enormous ice cream cones from Costco!

It's times like these that make my heart full and immensely grateful for my little family the opportunity to be a mother.

Friday, 10 May 2013

Two weeks ago I embarked on the Ten Minute Trainer workout videos and being more strict with my diet, again.

I have diligently done the workouts and don't mind them but they are not as intense as Insanity. As of today there has been zero change in the scale number. Maybe some inches or partial inches lost because my pants seem to be looser?

Food is definitely my downfall. Why does it have to taste so good???

When I look back on my on myfitnesspal app I did okay and mostly stayed within the calories it suggests. There was one day each weekend where I had to stop counting.

It's normal living though, and I think perhaps to really see the numbers drop I'd have to actually 'diet'. I could probably do that but then what happens after and regular, realistic, eating resumes? I'm sure I'd gain it all back and more.

As I said two weeks ago - I'm not really unhappy where I'm at. The six pounds are to see if I can do it. Maybe, maybe not. I'll keep at it. At least I'm holding. Even three pounds would be nice....

But next week we're off to Winnipeg where the food offered me is beyond my control. I can at least choose 'how much' just not the 'what' because we're staying with people and hopefully not eating out much. Workouts could/most likely will be be non-existent.

Monday, 6 May 2013

Friday proved to be very productive and satisfying. I actually got my house tidy and clean in the same day. Of course that only lasted 2.2 seconds but at least I know I achieved the clean and tidy status, fleeting as it was.

Tiny front closet. Big mistake with this house design. I should have fit a boot room into the budget.

A few things on the counter, but hey, not bad for us!

The kids' table in the back right corner is usually piled with junk.

Sawyer's room.

Sierra's room. She's a pack-rat, it's difficult to keep the clutter at bay.

Friday, 3 May 2013

A cool overcast morning with a bit of rain in the air and I'm snuggled on the couch with my best boy, Sawyer. He's watching a PVR'd episode of Team Umizumi that he has seen a bazillion times and eating Goldfish. I'm savouring my coffee and enjoying the fact that I can just sit and not get bombarded with demands.

I love Sierra with all my being but she is very taxing at times. She has school this morning and I almost feel guilty enjoying the fact that she's not here. Sierra is constantly talking to me or needing something or simply watching me; she never leaves me alone. I know that when she hits 12 or 13 I"ll be begging for her presence but now unless she's asleep or away Sierra is always by my side. On top of her usual neediness, this week her emotions have been a bit like hormonal teenager. (I'm terrified of when she actually gets there!)

So, I'm enjoying hanging with just my son. Sawyer's personality is so different that way. I often have to be intentional about playing with him because he is so content to just do whatever. Although there are a few things I need to get done this morning there is definitely some playtime with Sawyer planned.

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Sierra had her second soccer practice/game yesterday and after missing last week I had to go. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching her play - she is so cute! What I do not enjoy is wearing my parka, toque, and mitts while doing so. It snowed again Monday night. It was -9 last night.

Moving on.Yesterday I got a great package in the mail - on such a lovely 'spring' day. (!)

Seeds!Despite my rather detesting yard work I do enjoy having a vegetable garden. I like that the produce has so much more flavour and that Sierra actually enjoys vegetable like green beans and peas. Whereas if I buy them from the store I get the "blech!" Also when I hear/read of all the chemicals subjected to produce these days and chose not to spend the extra on organic all the time.....growing my own has that much more appeal.

Over at Jen Wilson's blog I read that she orders her seeds from William Dam Seeds. I've always picked mine up last minute from Canadian Tire and never having any idea regarding varieties and such, I grab vegetables I know I like to grow and away I go. They grow, the taste good and I've never really thought much about it. When I checked out William Dam Seeds I read that they don't chemically treat their seeds and have a lot of info on the different varieties and their growing seasons and climate tolerances and so on. I carefully read up on each vegetable I wanted to grow and selected the variety that seems to be best suited to me and our environment and placed my order. Aside from $8 for shipping the prices were only slightly higher than Canadian Tire. It'll be interesting to see if I notice a difference. Will the plants be stronger? Produce more? Will the produce taste even better?

How to introduce myself in a few words....well, my names is Carla. I am married to Trevor, and he's pretty awesome. I have two kids, Sierra (b. 2007) and Sawyer (b. 2010), they're pretty awesome too I live in a small town in Southern Alberta. I work outside the home part-time and inside the home full time. I have an obsession with painted nails, eyeglasses, and matching outfits.I'm a coffee and wine snob (no home brew or Folgers please!)I am also focused on exercise and being healthy and enjoying it. (no crazy 'diets' for me)Awhile back I realized that I have not been living as the genuine me. I had begun to act like someone else, someone I thought people wanted to me to be. That disturbed me. I vowed to rediscover me. The real me. This space is ME being honest and expressing myself about my day to day life with day to day ups and downs.